Rachel Platten continues to empower and promote positive vibes on her new promo single “Broken Glass.”  Unfortunately, it’s not as polished as her best work.

Oh, Rachel Platten, the uplifting pop singer/songwriter known for her fight in “Fight Song” and her relentless loyalty on “Stand by You.” She also sung about “Angels in Chelsea.”  She’s back with a relatively brief new single, “Broken Glass.” Interestingly “Broken Glass” sounds quite different from the aforementioned highlights from Wildfire.  To quote Miley Cyrus, “No one stays the same.”

Starting with the pros. It is great to hear Rachel Platten sounding more fun. When you think about her artistically, she’s not always the most exciting musician.  No shade of course.  She showcases this side of herself best on the chorus.

“I’m gonna dance on broken glass, on broken glass / And I’m gonna make that ceiling crash, that ceiling crash / So what? Still got knives in my back / So what? So, I’m tied to the tracks.”

Beyond her personality, the song is a groovier departure from some of her past work. On paper, this change is good.  But it’s not all new. Even with Platten allowing herself to be cool, she’s still thoughtful in regards to messaging and the lyrics.  You can’t completely take the fight and loyalty out of her. Vocally, she sounds rock solid.

Now the cons. Ugh. “Broken Glass,” despite having much of the same things that Platten has offered previously, just doesn’t feel accomplished.  I like the more modern, danceable change for her more on paper than actually executed.  Hurting the cause even more is the overuse of tropical cues across the board – country music included. A past criticism has been the fact that she slips into ‘middle-of-the-road’ territory.  Even with some tweaks, it’s hard to envision “Broken Glass” being a pop hit on the same level as “Fight Song” or “Stand by You.” It’s just not as good and the tweak is weak.

Final Thoughts 

Rachel Platten seems like a very nice person.  This translate through her music.  You kind of hate to criticize her given her spirit.  Unfortunately, “Broken Glass” isn’t for me.  Perhaps it’ll grow on me, but seems doubtful.  The theme and vocals are pros.  The song as a whole, meh.

Rachel Platten • Broken Glass – Single • Columbia • Release: 8.18.17

Photo Credit: Columbia